First Time Faith
by RachelDemented
Summary: Faith just got out, and of course, Angel’s there, giving her a place to stay...and possibly, a job. Unfortunately Wesley’s not so hot on the idea, but Gunn’s ready to accept her if she can prove herself. And Cordelia…Cordelia is livid that she is
1. Faith

First Time Faith

First Time Faith

By [Rachel][1]

Visit my sites

[Rach's Stuff][2] & [Under A Blue Night][3]

Rated R

Part 1

Faith.

Faith got let out of prison almost an hour ago. Actually, they kinda pushed her out.

'Good behavior, huh?' She thought. Maybe she should have been more defiant…at least then she wouldn't have to worry about having a place to go. But no, getting out was good. This was good. This was…a chance? At a new life?

Faith hissed and wondered how long it'd take her to fall off the bandwagon again.

It had been raining nonstop since she walked out those doors. A sign maybe? Already three passer-bys had been the potential victim of a robbery. Faith easily could've taken that last one…stupid lady wouldn't have even known what hit her…and Faith imagined she probably had a big wad of cash in her purse…a big wad of cash she really could've used.

But Faith hadn't moved a muscle as the unsuspecting idiot approached then passed then retreated, trouble-free, and unbeknownst of the atrocious thoughts in the head of the small homeless girl she chose to ignore.

She'd have done in it a second…no sweat.

But for some reason, she just didn't feel like it. She was too tired…

_Yeah, that's a good excuse_.

And what the hell…it was her first day out. She'd try to be good, she'd make the effort to go at least one whole day on the goods. But tomorrow… 'Tomorrow,' She told herself, reaching for some sort of familiar strategy, if anything just to make herself feel better. She sighed to herself and lowered her eyes to the ground. 'Tomorrow, I can't promise anything.'

A black Plymouth pulled up and the young black guy at the wheel opened the driver's side door and got out and stared at her over the hood of the car. Faith stared back repugnantly. _If he offered her money to do him in the alley_…

It'd be the second time in twenty minutes.

"You Faith?" He asked.

"Yeah…what's it to you?"

Gunn gave her a quick once over and shook his head in some private amusement that was really starting to piss Faith off…

"Angel sent me."

Faith tried to hide her surprise. She glanced down at her shoes and pretended not to care. "Oh, did he now,"

"Yeah." Gunn said.

"What the hell for? What's the bleeding heart want with me now?"

"Don't know, don't care. I'm just here to pick you up."

"Pick up this," She said, flipping him off.

Gunn growled, growing impatient with her attitude. Cordelia had warned him about the ex-con, but he'd thought she'd been exaggerating.

"Look, I ain't got all day to deal with some sarcastic and moody bitch. Sarcastic fine…I work with Cordy. Moody, heh! I work with Angel! But bitch…? I hope I don't know you well enough to call you that, I don't like addressing young ladies in that manner. But so far, that's all you've given me to work off of, so until you prove otherwise, that's how I'm gonna handle you. Angel sent me to getch you 'cause he knew you was getting let out today. If you don't appreciate that, fine…It's your life, your loss. I'll stop wasting my time."

The girl sat there quietly, not making any attempt to stand or come towards the car or anything. She just sat there still, not making eye contact, as the rain soaked into her clothes.

"Well?" Gunn asked. "You coming or not? Because I can just leave right now and you can sit out here all night if you want. Drown in the rain…no skin off my nose." She still didn't answer. Gunn heaved a sigh. "Fine, I'm out. Don't say I didn't try." He started to climb back into the car, and Faith looked up.

"Wait!"

Gunn paused and stared back at her. He could see the effort it was taking for her to surrender. He'd seen a lot of hardened, troubled youths in his day, but this girl had to take the cake. He had doubted the severity of some of the stories he'd heard… How could one little girl be so full of hate? Apparently, he'd underestimated her. 

She fidgeted on the sidewalk before standing. She appeared apprehensive, and lingered just beyond the car door. He decided to push her along a little.

"Come on, angry white girl. Get in the car. The worst that could happen is you get yourself out of the rain."

"How do I know Angel really sent you, and you're not some kind of pervert, bent on raping and killing me."

"Because for one, I aint like that. Two, you know this is his car. Three, if I _was _some kind of pervert, I wouldn't pick up a delinquent like you...I wouldn't want to loose a hand…or anything else. You look too mean."

This brought a hint of a smile to her lips. Gunn relaxed a little and grinned back. "My name's Gunn. I'll be your babysitter for the next hour it takes to get back. No spitting, cursing or stabbing in the car. If you can agree to that, I'm willing to give you a chance."

Faith reluctantly nodded her rain soaked head. Gunn sighed in agreement.

"Good. Now stop foolin' around and get in the damn car. I'm getting wet."

"You know, you pull off that drowned rat look really well," Cordelia cracked.

"Cordy…" Angel said warningly, walking past her towards the drenched slayer. "Cool it." 

Cordelia responded with a roll of her eyes and a begrudgingly crossing of her arms.

"Gunn found you," Angel said, coming up before Faith and folding his arms apprehensively. He looked her right in the eye, something Faith wasn't accustomed to anymore… In the big house, you hid your eyes from everyone. 

She looked down.

"Yeah," She mumbled slightly, shoving her hands into the pockets of her wet denim jacket. She let out a nervous, deep breath. "Lucky me, he did."

"She was sitting on the curb," Gunn said, eyeing her as he walked past and headed in Cordelia's direction.

_"I'm surprised she wasn't laying in the gutter," _Cordy mumbled. Gunn held his finger to his lips, signaling for her silence.

"And you came with him," Angel said softly. Faith understood that he implied more than the simple statement suggested.

"Yeah," She admitted, glancing quickly back at him before lowering her eyes to the floor permanently. He watched her momentarily before letting a small slip of a smile cross his mouth. He leaned towards her and whispered,

"I'm glad. Come in."

With his hand on her back, he guided her further into the Hyperion Lobby, and at the same time, welcomed her into his life. Faith found it awkward.

"You're soaked," He mentioned as he brought her towards the back of the lobby where the original check in counter had been turned into a boundary between open space and a makeshift research lab.

"It was raining," She said dryly.

"Why were you sitting on the curb?"

"I had nothing else to do…"

"AHEM!" Cordelia coughed, eyes ablaze as Angel let Faith sink onto a leather sofa as he retrieved and handed her a towel. Faith started squeezing the water out of her hair. Angel looked at Cordelia expectantly. Gunn shook his head but said nothing, and fell into the desk chair behind him. Cordelia dropped her arms and cocked her head at the ex-con, flashing Angel a harried look. "Rules, Angel! We have rules! Explain the rules…"

"Oh." Angel looked back at the young slayer and nodded. He cleared his throat, and started nervously.

"Faith…I'm willing to let you live here, I'll even give you a job. But you have to agree to a few things first. And you have to swear…"

"I'll do whatever," She said dryly. "I have no where else to go. Just cut the bull and spill it, and I'll agree."

"It might not be that simple, girlie," Cordelia said skeptically, watching her with an air of suspicion and intolerance. "Maybe you wanna hear the plan before you agree to a promise you can't keep?"

"I can keep whatever," Faith bit, letting her eyes wander to the tall, slender ex-aspiring actress. She flashed her an annoyed expression then let her eyes fall again. Cordelia's eyes burned with impudence. They bore into Faith like a knife, but Faith was too tired to engage her in a staring contest, and frankly, Faith didn't care to win. She decided against anymore interruptions…the more she piped in, the longer this would take, and she didn't want to have to listen to the ditz complain anymore than she had to. The sound of her voice alone was enough to make Faith want to maim, and Angel wouldn't approve. Besides, she wanted to hear Angel speak. His need to help her was all she had left, so she'd deal with his instructions…no matter how conforming. At that moment she vowed to do whatever it took to keep herself in his good graces…even if it meant putting up with the ditz. She glanced in Angel's direction. "Go on," She said quietly.

"First thing," He said uneasily. "You mess up, you're out. And I mean it. I will leave you out in the cold. I will drop you off at the train station with a one-way ticket out of L.A. And I will have no problem doing it."

"Yeah," Cordelia piped in. Angel gave her a look that sent her looking for something else to do. As she started shuffling through paperwork, he turned back to Faith.

"Secondly…I want you to make an attempt at doing something good. You don't have to work for me, I understand if you don't. But you have to do something good for yourself if not for others. I know that it's the only way you're going to be able to heal yourself… It's going to be the only way that you're going to be able to get up in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror without wanting to crawl back in to bed and die. Believe me…I know…well, except for the mirror thing.

"And thirdly, if you do anything to hurt anyone I care about, I will personally take you down." He peered into her eyes. "Do you understand?"

She nodded wearily.

"Good. Then I think that covers it." He relaxed and leaning back against the counter, he sighed.

He didn't like being militant, but he'd promised Cordelia and Wesley that he wouldn't be lax with this girl. Of course he'd never let her do again what she'd done in the past, and he wouldn't give her the room to hurt his friends. And he didn't mind laying down the ground rules, and he had no intentions of letting her stray. But still…to be so scolding. To have to say, 'There are rules'… 

It reminded him of something… Of his father… And to know what he'd done to his parents because of this same sort of speech…to know that his father had just been trying to protect him, and then, the way he'd struck back…

To know he was now taking the roll of a father; it just wasn't that comforting.

"You can pick any room in the place that you want. I live on the third floor. Near or far, I'll give you your privacy. I do prefer that you let me know when you're coming or going…not to keep tabs on you, but…well, to keep tabs. I'll feel better knowing you're safe."

"Sure, dad." Faith mumbled, rolling her eyes. Angel paused letting his next sentence dangle on his tongue before ditching the effort all together. He took another approach.

He walked up to the girl, toe to toe, and bent down in front of her, getting in her face and making her look at him. She recoiled back slightly, uncomfortable, and this pleased Angel. He didn't know how to make this any clearer, and this was the most important part. He wouldn't give her the opportunity to misunderstand.

"Faith…you give Wesley his space, got it? You let him get used to you before you even try to be in the same room as him. And don't ever threaten him. Don't ever remotely say anything that he could take as threatening," 

She stared up at him.

"And I'm only telling you this because I think you need to hear it to get the big picture. He's terrified of you…and I don't blame him. Leave him alone, Faith, or I swear you'll regret it. Got it?"

Wide eyed, she nodded her head. "Sure Angel, I get it."

Angel nodded and started to back off. Cordelia cleared her throat again, and Angel acknowledged her with a soft roll of his eyes.

"And don't fight with Cordy either…it gives me a headache.

Faith gave him an _Ok, you're the boss_, then slumped down in her seat.

"Any room I want?" Faith repeated. Angel nodded as he followed slightly behind her, hands clasped behind his back as she shivered in the dim hallway.

She watched the numbered doors go by.

They were on the second floor.

"I think I found it," She said in a slightly humorous tone. Angel looked up.

"Uh…sixty-nine?" He asked uneasily. She gave him a mischievous smile, then went forth and opened the door.

Faith glanced around quickly, standing shyly in the middle of the room.

"I'll take it," She said.

"Are you sure…there are other, bigger rooms,"

It was big enough. It was a room.

"I want this one."

"Okay," Angel nodded, glancing at the walls. "I'm just upstairs."

"Does this mean that you can hear me?"

"Maybe…" Angel didn't laugh. He walked over and pulled a large white sheet off the top of the bed. Dust kicked up and Faith coughed. He bundled it up and dropped it outside in the hallway. He pulled another off a large, vintage brown leather easy-chair and again tossed it out into the hallway. Faith walked the room perimeter, inspecting things and wiping her finger along the dusty walls. "I'll get a maid service to come in here," Angel said apologetically.

"No sweat," Faith answered quickly. She shrugged. "It doesn't matter…I can take care of it."

"No, it's okay. There's a lot of work here, I'll just pay to have it done."

"It's not like I don't have the time," She mumbled, mostly to herself. Angel watched her, her damp hair still hanging in a shroud around her face.

"Make yourself at home…the bathrooms through there," Angel pointed at a door. "Why don't you get out of those wet clothes…"

Before he even finished, Faith had peeled off her wet jacket, and started to lift her sopping wet shirt, right in front of him.

Angel's eyes went wide, and he quickly turned his back. Faith paused and stare at him, blushing slightly in his discomfort.

"Sorry," She sighed. "I'm so used to the guards…"

Angel heard her move cross the floor to the bathroom, where she disappeared inside. Angel cleared his throat then turned back and waited for her. After a moment, she reappeared, wrapped in a white cotton towel and handed out her wet clothes to Angel, which he readily accepted.

"There's a dryer in the basement…I'll have Cordelia bring you something to wear in the meantime. God knows she keeps enough clothes here,"

"They wouldn't fit." Faith said sternly.

"Of course they would…I mean, she's a little bit taller than you,"

"No. They wouldn't fit _me._"

Angel grew quiet in understanding. Faith felt a tinge of guilt at making things suddenly awkward.

"You know…that tub back there looks really good…So, I think I'm gonna take a long, hot bath."

"Sure," Angel nodded. "Your clothes should be dry by the time you get out. Are you hungry? I'll make you something…you look hungry."

"A little," Faith admitted.

"Okay." Angel smiled and backed towards the door. "I'll leave your clothes on the bed when they're done. Just come down when you're ready."

  
Faith nodded and Angel started to leave.

"Hey, Angel?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Faith took her time.

She filled the tub to the rim with hot water, adding some vanilla bath salts she'd found beneath the sink. She didn't know how long they'd been there, but they still did the trick. She swam around for nearly an hour, until the skin on her feet wrinkled like prunes.

She hadn't had a chance to soak in a tub in forever…it was so completely better than having to shower with a bunch of prison dykes; that much was for sure.

She finally got out, drying herself with her towel, and then went to the mirror.

With a swipe of her hand, she cleared a fogged space in the glass and stared at her reflection.

It was hard to look at herself. She rubbed her hands hard across her face. And no matter how long she bathed, or how hard she scrubbed, she never felt quite clean.

She broke away from her reflection and leaned over, wrapping the towel around her wet hair. She stood up again, then without thinking, walked out into the other room…naked.

Cordelia was sitting on the bed, next to a pile of unfamiliar clothing. Faith frowned.

Cordelia's face turned red and she immediately averted her eyes.

"Do you always walk around that naked!" She hissed.

"No…" Faith said with a shrug. "I dressed down especially for you."

"Well, for gods sakes, put some clothes on!"

"Can't, sorry, don't have any. They're all in the dryer." Faith grinned, sauntering over to the large leather chair and fell back into it, letting her leg swing carelessly over the armrest. She leaned back, and folded her arms behind her turbaned head.

"Very tactful," Cordelia scowled.

"Hey, Angel said make myself at home."

"Yeah, I'm sure he meant it like that…" She rolled her eyes and got up, gathering the clothing from the bed. "He said to bring you some clothes. Yours aren't dry yet, and as much as you'd love to, no one here wants you walking around indecent. You'll have to wear some of mine. Don't ruin them."

"It doesn't matter if I'm dressed or not, I'll always be indecent."

"You said it, honey. Not me." Cordelia flung the clothes at her and turned to walk out.

  
Faith ripped the blouse from her face and very deliberately hissed, "Thanks."

Cordelia paused, turning back to watch her coldly, then walking back over to the naked wild child, folded her arms.

"Angel says I have to be nice to you…but don't think for a minute that I'm letting my guard down. I don't trust you as far as I can throw you,"

"And with those skinny, little arms, you couldn't throw me very far."

Faith smiled up at her and Cordelia glared.

"Just watch yourself."

She let her eyes linger, letting it be known she meant what she said. She turned and headed straight to the door, the heels of her suede designer boots clicking across the floor as she went, and the let herself out.

Faith looked down at the sheer purply top in her hand and cringed.

"Is this punishment???" She called out after her. "Or do you always dress like a bimbo!"

"Tomorrow, Cordelia, I want you to take Faith shopping."

"ME!" Cordelia snapped, almost dropping her fork in mid-bite. Faith looked uneasily between the other three faces at the table.

Angel was sitting back in his chair; his now empty dinner glass in front of him while he waited as everyone else ate. Gunn ignored the conversation and continued shoveling down his chicken cacciatore. Cordelia did drop her fork now in her plate and glared blatantly across the table at Angel. Angel didn't mind in the slightest. He knew she'd be mad.

"Yep." He said.

"Why?" She demanded, eyes roughly taking in the quiet little wretch to her left. Faith kept her eyes on her plate. She didn't like this anymore than Cordelia did.

"Because. You like to shop."

"Yeah, so!"

"And you're a girl, and who else better to accompany…another…_girl_."

"Angel!"

"Cordy!" he said, mocking her. She scowled and hunched down in her seat.

"The things I have to do around here!"

"You don't have to do anything," Faith said glumly. "You don't have to take me. I don't even want to go." She stabbed her fork into her chicken and stared at it.

"Faith, you need clothes," Angel said.

"I've got clothes," She said uncertainly, looking down at the girly outfit she was wearing. Cordelia continued to glare.

"You've got _my_ clothes," She reminded her. "You're just _borrowing_ them."

"And as pretty as they look," Angel said, giving Cordelia the eye. "They really aren't you, and I know you don't feel comfortable in them, and I want you to have your own."

"_Pretty?"_ Cordelia hissed. "HEH!"

"Cordy," Gunn piped in. "She look good an' you know it."

"Thank you, Mr. Congeniality!"

Faith's eyes met Gunn's briefly and he smiled genuinely at her. Then he started hacking into his chicken again and was therefore out of the conversation.

"Cordy, don't be difficult." Angel pleaded.

"Fine." She said coldly, slamming her napkin down on the table. She sat back and crossed her arms sourly in a huff. "I'll take her. Okay? I'll take her wherever you want me to take her…Just stop talking about it, okay??? It's giving me a freaking headache! Plus…the prospect is making me loose my appetite…"

"Cordy…Thank you. I owe you one." Angel offered her a smile.

"Ohhh!" She eyed him. "You do! You SOOOO DO!"

   [1]: mailto:rachelpeek@excite.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/rachelfromihj
   [3]: http://www.geocities.com/underabluenight



	2. Sunshine

First Time Faith

First Time Faith

By [Rachel][1]

Visit my sites

[Rach's Stuff][2] & [Under A Blue Night][3]

Rated R

Part 2

"Wake up, Sunshine," Cordelia said blandly, busting into Faith's room without so much as a knock. Faith rolled over on her side and looked up sleepily from bed. Cordelia gave her a dirty look and stalking over to the window threw open the drapes. A dirty white sunlight filtered in, and Faith squinted against it.

"What the fuck do you want?" Faith growled.

"Naughty mouth!" Cordelia shrieked, giving her a disapproving look. Faith started to cover her head with her blanket, but Cordelia reached the bed, and taking it in both hands, gave it a good, hard yank. She almost pulled Faith out of bed. 

"TIME TO GO SHOPPING." She announced. "Come on! Get up!" She started to take Faith's arm, but Faith snapped back out of reach and Cordelia jumped. An irritated Cordy sighed and stood back, staring down at the girl.

"Don't do that, k?" Faith said quietly. Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"Sorry."

Faith slowly withdrew from bed, scratching her messed up hair and letting her legs dangle from the edge of the mattress. She sat in her underwear and yawned. Cordelia stood impatiently.

"What time is it?" Faith asked.

"A quarter after nine…"

"What!"

"You heard me!"

Faith gave her a demanding look.

"Everyone knows to get the best deals you have to get there before the store opens, duh!" Cordelia crossed the room and entered the bathroom. She flicked on the light, and peered into the mirror, checking her makeup and smoothing her hair.

"Where are we gonna go?" Faith yelled out, yawning again as she tried to deal with her rude awakening.

Cordelia grinned and came back to the door.

"Well, I know that your usual taste is amply available in the junior miss department at the K-Mart Superstore, but, I'm thinking today, I'm going to take you somewhere with a little more class, and a touch of style! I'm taking you to Melrose. And besides, I wouldn't be caught dead at K-Mart…so you'll just have to deal." She dropped her smile and went back to the mirror.

Faith shook her head in contempt but got up anyway.

She dressed in her own, now dry, clothes from the day before, and was able to get Cordelia away from the mirror for a few minutes to brush her hair.

"We really have to do something about that…" Cordelia commented from the doorway, shaking her head.

"What?" Faith asked, confused.

"That rat's nest of a hairdo," Faith flinched at the remarks. They were getting really personal now. "I'll take you to my stylist," Cordelia added. "What the hell! As long as Angel's paying for it…"

"Do I _really _want to go to your stylist?" Faith asked sarcastically. "I don't want to end up looking like Britney Spears or a Spice Girl or anything…"

Cordelia came to her and peered at her frostily.

"If you're lucky, they might be able to make you look as good as Scary Spice."

"Do you really think so?" Faith scathed. "Because, you know, I've always wanted to look like her!"

"Wesley, I didn't think you'd be back in today,"

Wesley stood idly near the door, glancing around uneasily. Angel approached his associate, keeping just out of the reach of daylight, his breakfast in hand.

"I didn't want to let my responsibilities go just because…" His voice trailed off. Angel followed his eyes as they looked apprehensively up the ornate stairwell.

"Relax, Wes. She's not here. I had Cordelia take her out shopping."

Wesley sighed in extreme relief, closing his eyes momentarily, making the effort to gather himself.

"I—I'm sorry, Angel…I don't know why I'm acting this way." 

Angel frowned.

"Wesley," He said, all too seriously. "You don't have to try to impress anybody,"

"I'm not."

"If you're not comfortable now, you don't have to come back right away. I know this is really hard for you. I'm sorry—" 

"Don't apologize, Angel…You're doing the right thing. And I'm a grown man. I shouldn't be acting this way…but still,"

"Wesley, she kidnapped and tortured you once…how do you expect to act?"

Wesley was at a loss. Angel watched him sadly.

"I'm sorry I put you in this position."

"Don't be…" Wesley exhaled. "She needs your help. And it's…it's not _her_ fault she was…was…was…"

"A sadistic, psychotic, and deranged killer?"  
"Yes."

"Well, I can't blame you if you hold it against me,"

"You? Why?"

"For bringing her here. Wesley, I'm really sorry," Angel glanced down into his half finished glass. He was drinking it cold this morning… 'Chilled', he preferred to think.

"Angel…stop apologizing. She's rehabilitated now…_I hope_. And I'll deal with it…_eventually_. And I don't want to be chased out of my own job by demons…_so to speak_." Wes frowned at this choice of expression. "Sorry, not you."

Angel smiled.

"I knew what you meant."

"So, I've decided its time to buck up and get passed it! Besides…" Wesley's expression went from bad to worse. "How hard could it really be seeing her again…"

"Pretty bad."

"Ah, great."

"But…I think things will be okay. I have faith…in _Faith_." Angel said sincerely. Wesley shook his head.

"I'm glad somebody does… Now. Work. I want to _work_. What shall we work on today?"

Angel tipped his glass at his friend.

"Can I get you something to eat first?"

"I think this would be perfect!" The saleswoman said, holding up an ugly, retro green and brown plaid dress to Faith as she glared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Even Cordelia cringed.

"You know what!" Cordelia said sweetly, trying to be as polite as possible. "I think we're okay on our own…if we need anything, we'll call ya! How does that sound!"

"O-okay," The woman forced. She eyed the edgy looking girl in the combat boots, then the taller, sheik one, before walking away.

"This is so ugly," Faith gasped in amusement, looking at the price tag. Cordelia snatched it from her hands.

"It sure is," She heaved. Cordy stuck it back on the closest rack and started looking through another. "Don't you see anything you like???"

Faith looked around easily. "Nope."

"Well," Cordelia sighed. "Thanks for being honest."

"This place blows."

"I happen to _like_ this place,"

"So that's what's wrong with it! Can't we go somewhere I want to go?"

"I told you, no K-Mart!" Cordelia hissed. "K-Mart bad! K-Mart…not fashionable! Angel put you in my hands to make you…_as good as you're gonna get_…and I will not let him down! I'm not going to disappoint him. I'm NOT going to let you make me look incompetent! You hear me? It's a simple task! I am going to succeed! I'm going to give you a little class if I have to shove my Gucci handbag down your throat and tape your mouth closed!!! So if you don't like the taste of leather…which I just BET you do! Then shut your hole, and start trying things on!!! GOT IT?"

"Got it," Faith said dryly. 

She ended up with an armful of over-priced duds as she was being shoved into a fitting room. The sales lady's eyes lit up at the prospect of commission and so she was more than happy to let her take in more than was to be allowed. Six items nothin', try like thirteen…

"If you need anything…!" The woman was practically salivating. 

Faith rolled her eyes.

"We'll call ya!" Cordelia promised.

"Okay…great…" The woman floated away.

Faith turned around to shove Cordelia out, but Cordelia pushed her arm away and closed the door behind them. Faith gave her an annoyed look.

"I'm making sure you don't steal anything." Cordelia bit.

Faith laughed absurdly.

"_Why _would I steal anything?"

"You tell me…you're the convict."

"I went to prison for murder, not thievery," Faith said wryly, dropping the clothes carelessly to the floor. She made sure to step on them as she slipped off her shirt. Cordelia folded her arms and glared. "Besides, this stuff is putrid." Faith went on, smiling then, as she reached for her pants zipper. "Admit it, Cordelia…You just get your rocks off seeing me naked."

"Uh. NO."

"Oh, you sooo do! It's okay… In the pen, everyone's a lesbo. I'm used to it. Just don't try to eat me out or anything…"

Cordelia rolled her eyes and leaned back against the fitting room door in a huff.

Outside, the sales lady's eyes widened as she eavesdropped on the two customers.

   [1]: mailto:rachelpeek@excite.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/rachelfromihj
   [3]: http://www.geocities.com/underabluenight



	3. Hair

First Time Faith

First Time Faith

By [Rachel][1]

Visit my sites

[Rach's Stuff][2] & [Under A Blue Night][3]

Rated R

Part 3

They finally got out of the boutique, with about five bags full of Angel's hard earned mullah down the drain, so Faith thought. And the day was getting longer.

"What's wrong with my hair?" She argued.

"It's a mess." Cordy said shortly.

"No, it's not. I brushed it this morning."

"Well, it's stringy, and flat."

"It's not stringy,"

Faith looked self-consciously into the passenger's side mirror. Cordelia drove along, the sun glinting off of her tortoise shell rimmed sunglasses.

"Look, girlie. Angel expects you to look good when we get back, and you can't look good with hair like that. I'm taking you to my own, personal stylist. Roberto. He's the best."

"Great,"

"And he's going to make you look like a whole new girl. I swear, if anybody can fix this," Cordelia wrinkled her nose, and driving with one hand, reached the other over to tug at Faith's hair. Faith scowled and swatted away the judgmental fingers. Cordy gave her a dirty look but turned back to the road. 

The buildings were flying by, and they were almost there. 

"If anybody can fix you, Roberto can."

"I don't want to look like a bimbo,"

"Roberto doesn't do 'bimbo',"

"He does you, doesn't he—"

"Faith…just shut up."

"Whatever…"

Faith grinned and looked out at the L.A. scenery.

Starbucks, bagel shops and dry cleaners galore. Ha! Cordelia was trying so hard, the moron. And she was trapped along for the ride. 'Ah well,' Faith sighed, raising a brow and pursing her lips. Maybe getting her hair done would be fun…Yeah right. About as fun as hanging out with a mindless poster twat for wanna-be actresses…and she was already doing that. And it wasn't fun. Not her idea of it, anyway. 

Faith glanced at Cordelia, across the seat. She They Called Cordy looked all too determined. 

Faith felt a nervousness rising in the pit of her stomach. Yep. Anxiety. Pure, unadulterated anxiety. Dammit. Cordelia was determined to make her look like a model… 

_Boy, was she gonna be disappointed. _

It's not that Faith didn't have confidence in her looks…she was just out of practice. 

The clothing had been hard. Trying to agree on anything with Cordelia had been the hardest. She'd ended up succumbing to Cordelia's questionable taste, and finally just let the wanna-be starlet pick the new wardrobe. So Faith had trendy, retro styles, and stuff like orange rayon and green sequined acetate to look forward too. _It'd been so long since she'd had to worry about wearing anything but an orange jumper…_

_And now hair. _

Faith couldn't wait to see what Cordelia had in store for her. She dreaded it, yes, but she also had this morbid fascination with finding out just how lame Cordelia could make her look. Call it self-destructive behavior, but Faith suddenly found herself looking forward to meeting this Roberto…

"Cordeeeeelia!" The grown man's shrill voice was unnaturally high. Cordelia's face lit up and she called back.

"Roberrrrrrto!"

They ran, very daintily, towards eachother and meshed in one of those phony 'kiss-kiss' welcomes that made Faith roll her eyes and wrinkle her nose in disgust. Roberto was a queen. She should've known…

"So, Cordelia! Babe! What brings you back so soon! Oh! You don't want to change your highlights, do you? They look so goood,"

"Oh, no!" Cordy grinned, running a hand through her chin-length do. "I LOVE my hair! I love the highlights, no, you did a FABULOUS job last time,"

"Oh, oh, good. You know, it just makes me so sad when I do such beautiful work and then the client comes back in wanting something different, it's just so sad,"

"Ah huh," Cordy mused.

"Well, then, if you're not changing your hair, what can I do for you? Did you come just to visit? Oh that's so sweet!"

"No, no, Roberto," Cordy giggled nervously, glancing behind her at where Faith stood silently. She reached out an arm, gesturing Faith forward, and as Roberto's eyes drifted past Cordy, and landed on the tough girl, his face went white and his mouth dropped.

His expression blared 'How could one girl look so bad.'

Faith hissed repugnantly as he immediately came forth to inspect his new 'project'.

"It's sooo…"

"Dry?" Cordy offered.

"Drab!"

"That's from lack of conditioner."

"Why on earth would you shampoo without conditioning!"

"It's not like I had a choice!" Faith huffed.

"NEVER GO WITHOUT CONDITIONER! Especially with this type of hair!"

"They don't get the luxury of conditioner in prison, Roberto." Cordelia chimed. "Just soap on a rope and communal bathing. Conditioner was the LEAST of her problems…" 

Roberto stared in mock horror, and Faith responded before Cordy had another chance to berate her.

"There were ways to get conditioner," She scathed. "But I'm not into carpet."

"Yeah, I just bet."

"Honey," Roberto broke in. "You've should've SHAGGED cause this is just…" He shook his head, entangling his fingers in the wild, dark hair several times. "Hideous!" He said finally. "Absolutely hideous!"

"You're no fucking prize either, ya big queer." Faith snapped. 

Roberto jumped back but at the fire in her eyes, let out a shrill, genuine laugh.

"MOUTH!" Cordelia warned, giving her that hateful, wide-eyed look that she must've patented as her own just for times like these in dealing with Faith. Faith smirked and would have really given her something to scoff at, but Angel's words were still wafting around her head…somewhere, she was sure of it. And his warning had been fierce, and so she controlled herself. And she didn't even swing at him when Roberto grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to a chair.

"We'll fix this," He said adamantly. 

With a force Faith hadn't been expecting, Roberto shoved her into the seat. Grabbing a long, black sheet, he wrapped it around her. Faith started to protest, but his surprisingly firm hand shoved her still. Faith stared up at him.

Maybe he wasn't as big a queen as she'd thought…

"You work out?" She asked dryly.

"Occasionally…"

"Good for you. You have strong hands."

"I need strong hands,"

"For what?"

"What do you think?"

Faith allowed herself to grin, and grinning a little himself, Roberto circled around behind her and began sorting through his instruments. Faith relaxed a little, even under Cordelia's extreme scrutiny from her place a few paces away, and decided maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Roberto showed no restraint in dealing with her. He was frank and honest, and surprisingly…Faith decided she liked him.

Eh, so he was the ditz's hairdresser. That shouldn't automatically make him an inept person. After all, Angel was the ditz's boss, and Angel was…

Well. Angel was…a godsend.

Three hours later, Faith was finished.

   [1]: mailto:rachelpeek@excite.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/rachelfromihj
   [3]: http://www.geocities.com/underabluenight



End file.
